Which Kinds of Political Ads Have the Most Persuasive Power?

When it comes to the most effective political ad format, television wins by a landslide. Apparently, political ads on TV influence 38% of Millennials, 25% of Gen Xers, and 19% of Baby Boomers. These results were revealed in a January survey by Kelly Scott Madison (KSM) and ORC International that asked a range of generations which political ads had the most influence on their political perspectives and actions. eMarketer.com featured more on the power of political ads.

Beyond the TV Screen
While TV controlled the majority of political power in ads, print ads in newspapers and magazines earned the second-highest share of the vote. The research showed that print ads influenced:

29% of Millennials

22% of Gen Xers

18% of Baby Boomers

Social media ads also commanded a great deal of power, especially with Millennials. The research showed that political ads on social media platforms persuaded:

35% of Millennials

18% of Gen Xers

9% of Baby Boomers

According to a similar survey by the Harvard University Institute of Politics last year, Facebook is the most politically persuasive social platform for all ages, genders, and political affiliations. The survey also showed that Facebook was the only social media site that had more Republican and independent voters than Democrats.

And online video ads were almost equally as effective as social media ads. These digital political displays swayed:

30% of Millennials

19% of Gen Xers

10% of Baby Boomers

The Age of Political Ads
Interestingly, more Millennials in general found political ads of all kinds to be extremely influential, including radio advertising, outdoor marketing, online banner ads, letter marketing, and promotional email. In fact, these young adults deemed political ads to be much more persuasive than other generations did.

It’s clear that political ads are able to persuade a great deal. By understanding their appeal among different demographics, political ads can be strategically placed to win over the most people.